Although you most likely will not find a description in the standard history textbook of the 10th grade of simony, but for a correct understanding of the processes that took place in medieval Christianity, it should be disassembled. Simony, as one of the variants of self-interest, is one of the most reproached phenomena in Christianity, especially because in this particular case it concerns exclusively the Church and its ministers. Today it is believed that simony, that is, the purchase of church offices for money, is completely eradicated, but this was not easy to achieve, in some cases it came to church schisms.
The concept of "simony", the origin of the term
Simony is the sale of positions in the Church, the sale of ordinances such as the sacrament or baptism, as well as church relics. The term comes from the name of the sorcerer Simon, who tried to redeem the gift of miracles from the apostles Peter and John, that is, the grace of the Holy Spirit. Selfishness is one of the most condemned sins in Christianity, but, as history shows, it was not possible to avoid it not only to individual clergy, but also to some Churches as institutions, that is, the sale of church offices in them was the norm, fixed by the decisions of the meetings.
Simony in Catholicism
The institution of the papacy in Catholicism has not always been such a well-functioning mechanism as it is today. In the X century, Catholicism survived the period of pornocracy, behind this unflattering name lies the appointment of pontiffs by the influential Roman family of Theophylacts. During the first half of the 10th century, a large number of people were replaced by the pope, many of whom were notable for promiscuity. This is not the best period in the life of the Catholic Church was still completed. But, despite the condemnation of simony by the three Lateran Councils (1059, 1139, 1179), it did not disappear. Trade in posts reached its peak by the fourteenth century, and became one of the main causes of the Reformation, during which new Christian movements arose that were not subordinate to the Catholic Church.
Simony in the Russian Orthodox Church
The simony and the Russian Orthodox Church did not go around; it led to a major split within this church. In this case, simony is the so-called set duties, collecting money from the clergy for the right to take office. Such a tradition came to Russian Orthodoxy from Byzantium, but some dioceses made this tax too large, which aroused the indignation of the clergy. Vladimir Cathedral in 1274 decided to limit duties to the amount of 7 hryvnia. However, this restriction did not save Orthodoxy from the split of the strigolniks - one of the most famous church schisms of medieval Russia. Strigolniki were unhappy that the Orthodox priests held posts for bribes. The Russian Orthodox Church reacted to this split by completely abolishing the duties imposed at the 1503 Council.